Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - When taking over as the Buffalo Common Council President this past January, South District Councilman Chris Scanlon knew the responsibilities entailed with the possibility of taking over as Acting Mayor, should the current mayor ever step away from office.
More than nine months later, Scanlon has now been called upon to take over at City Hall with Byron Brown formally resigning from office as the Mayor of Buffalo on Tuesday after 19 years in office. Brown leaves city government in order to take over the role of president and CEO of Western Regional OTB.
While he has known this day would come for several weeks now, Mayor Scanlon certainly felt it hit home once he walked through the doors at City Hall to officially take office as of 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday.
"The responsibility of serving as mayor is not something I enter into lightly, but it's certainly something I enter into with a tremendous level of excitement, optimism and eagerness," said Scanlon in an interview with WBEN on Tuesday. "I want to get to work on behalf of the residents of the entire City of Buffalo, and make sure that services are provided, and I'm representing, serving, producing and providing for every corner of the city."
Scanlon will serve as Acting Mayor for the remainder of Brown's initial term, which expires at the end of 2025. He has indicated recently that a run at the Mayor's Office on a permanent basis is something he's expressed interest in come next election year.
Just before Scanlon took over for Brown on Tuesday, the two were able to share one last conversation, exchanging pleasantries with one another from their time spent serving in City Hall.
"We revisited some things of the past over my 12 years in office, and had a good laugh over a couple things. He just wished me well, and I do the same to him, Michelle and Byron, and wish him nothing but the best as he transitions from mayor into his next role in life," Scanlon said.
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Now as Scanlon looks ahead to the next 15 months in office as mayor, he has a number of initiatives that he hopes will continue Buffalo's ascension into the future.
"I want Buffalo to be a clean, safe, healthy and innovative city," Scanlon said. "We face challenges, as any municipality does, but if we're working together, the executive branch, with the legislative branch, the comptroller and, most importantly, the general public, the residents of the City of Buffalo, we'll address those challenges and we'll use them as opportunities to take Buffalo to the next level. I think we have an opportunity to maybe revamp and reshape some things, become more efficient, more innovative. And again, we can really take Buffalo to the next level."
To start, though, Scanlon wants to ensure a seamless transition atop city government and throughout City Hall.
"Mayor Brown was here for 19 years. It's the only thing a lot of people know in the city. Change can be unsettling, whatever it might be for certain people, so I want people to know that I'm prepared to lead the city," Scanlon said. "The 12 years in the Council, my nine in leadership, my year as Council President has prepared me to lead the City of Buffalo. So that's first-and-foremost, a seamless transition. But shortly thereafter is making sure we are communicating with the public, we're transparent with the public so they know what's going on in this building. I don't think we can be successful if they don't know what we're trying to do, and we can't be as successful as we want to be if we don't know what they're experiencing. The successes, the challenges, how we build upon those successes, how we get over those challenges, so increasing that communication with the public."
Then shortly thereafter, Scanlon is looking forward to tackling the city's financial situation, with the possibility of a budget deficit heading into the next fiscal year. Scanlon admits this will likely be the biggest challenge he will face in his term as Acting Mayor.
"I don't think it's something that is catastrophic, at this point. I think it's something we can address together, the different levels of government," he said. "Some people talk about making cuts, some people talk about the revenue side of the equation. I think it's got to be both. I think you've got to look at bringing in more revenue into the City of Buffalo, but we've also got to make sure we're prioritizing our spending, and making sure we're doing so responsibly. It's not an overnight fix. It's a multi-faceted, multi-year fix, but I do think we can get there together."
Come the end of his term as Acting Mayor in 2025, Scanlon is hoping to ensure the city is continuing to provide top-notch services for the residents of the community.
"We're providing affordable housing - high quality affordable housing - that we're building on the economic growth, we're building on our increase in population. All those positives that are taking place, building upon those, using those as a foundation and a springboard to move the city forward, while simultaneously addressing the challenges and using those as opportunities to improve as well," Scanlon explained.
When it comes to furthering economic development in the City of Buffalo, Scanlon says he will continue to take a collaborative approach with his leadership style in office as mayor.
"Whether it's our private sector partners, I want to bring them to the table, see what they're dealing with, what the challenges are that they're facing, and how the city can help address those and make sure that we are creating an energetic, thriving Central Business District on Main Street and the surrounding area. And, again, that that spills out into all the commercial districts within the neighborhoods. Those commercial corridors in our different districts, in the different neighborhoods are the lifeline to those neighborhoods. I will make sure we're providing for those small businesses as well," Scanlon noted.
Overall, Scanlon is thrilled and honored to get this chance to serve as Mayor of Buffalo, and hopes his efforts can lead to a brighter future for residents of the city he has called home from the start.
"This is a city I grew up in, that I love. That my wife and I chose to raise our family in. And it's one that I want to see continue to flourish," Scanlon said. "I want them to know that I stand ready to represent each and every corner of the City of Buffalo, and to provide and serve each and every corner in the City of Buffalo. But the overarching feeling and theme is that I'm excited and optimistic about the future."